Will ex-Kaizer Chiefs coach return to topple Orlando Pirates?

League points are at stake once more as Orlando Pirates make their return to Betway Premiership action by renewing rivalries with Durban City at Orlando Amstel Arena on Thursday night.

Kick-off is at 19:30.

Continental commitments have left the Buccaneers with a bit of ground to cover early in their title defence. They now shift their focus to a familiar foe with the two sides locking horns for the second time this season.

Fireworks have been a familiar feature whenever the two sides have met, and their rare Thursday night encounter could deliver another entertaining spectacle.

The Challenge Ahead

Orlando Pirates and Durban City both enjoyed continental success over the weekend when they each advanced to the next preliminary in different interclub competitions.

For the Buccaneers, it meant coming from a goal down to secure a 3-1 aggregate win against Mauritian champions La Cure Waves with all four goals in their CAF Champions League first preliminary round tie coming in the second leg in Soweto.

They have just one hurdle to scale in their quest for further participation in the competition, but all their focus this week has been on closing the seven-point gap at the top of the Betway Premiership standings after slipping to second place behind Mamelodi Sundowns which has occurred mainly due to inactivity in the league.

Orlando Pirates remain one of three unbeaten teams this season, having only dropped points through a stalemate away to AmaZulu in mid-August.

They have taken all nine available points since then, taking their overall tally to 13 points in five matches with an impressive 12 goals scored and just one conceded.

This tally includes six points in their two league games played so far, a number they will look to increase as they welcome the Durbanites to the Arena.

Injury news

Coach Abdeslam Ouaddou’s squad could be boosted by the return of winger Tshepang Moremi who was kept out of Champions League action by suspension.

However, Thalente Mbatha, Evidence Makgopa, Sihle Nduli and Mohau Nkota all remain unavailable for selection as they continue their recovery from their respective injuries.

Meanwhile, Gamphani Lungu and Andre de Jong will undergo late fitness tests to determine their availability for the match.

On a high

Despite their significant boost, Orlando Pirates’ quest for maximum points will not be a straightforward mission as they face a Durban City outfit on a high of its own.

The coastal side was victorious in its continental debut, beating Burundian outfit Rukinzo 3-1 on aggregate after their 1-0 home win was followed by an impressive 2-1 victory on the road.

Domestically, Khalil Ben Youssef’s troops have stuttered of late as they slipped down to ninth place after winning just once for a tally of six points in five league matches.

Youssef, of course, previously coached Kaizer Chiefs and will be a familiar face to the Buccaneers and their supporters.

Despite their disappointing returns, they have proven difficult to put away with their most recent defeat dating back to their last visit to Thursday night’s opponents.

With well over a month since falling on the losing side, Durban City will retain a useful degree of confidence as they return to Soweto.

Their only league win of the season was away from home and the weekend’s victory on the road should add to the belief that they could once again upset the odds.

All this adds up to a potentially enthralling encounter, with one side looking to claw its way back to the summit while the other attempts to scale the heights that brought it participation in continental football along with major silverware.

Head-to-Head

The past year has seen the two sides engaging in a few memorable battles in both league and cup football.

Their most recent league encounter in May produced a much talked-about stalemate, and there was not much to separate them until Gamphani Lungu’s winner in the very last minute of extra time when they clashed in their MTN8 quarter-final played at the Arena.

Overall, Orlando Pirates are well ahead in terms of head-to-head results in the league, having emerged victorious in 18 of the 34 Betway Premiership encounters while only suffering seven defeats with nine draws recorded by the two sides.

Durban City’s last victory in the fixture dates back to the 2021/22 campaign, where a solitary goal decided the encounter played at Harry Gwala Stadium.

It’s a slip-up that did not linger long with the Buccaneers managing to avenge it with victory in the return fixture before recording one more win through goals from Evidence Makgopa and Patrick Maswanganyi on the Durbanites’ return to top flight football.